Shino Aburame
by TheTinyestOne
Summary: It took ten years, and a family meddling in their affairs for Hyuuga Hinata and Aburame Shino to finally see what is right in front of their eyes. This story is dedicated to Eva-Mizuki-Levaris for reviewing loyally the whole way through.
1. Chapter 1

_Shino Aburame_

_By thetinyestone

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Please note: The title is temporary and I am taking suggestions. This is a "can I write this character fic"

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the rights to Naruto the anime and the manga. This is a fan based writing intended for fun, I do not intend to make any money off of my writing. The only character that is partly mine is Miko Aburame and her mother. All information on said characters came from the website leaf ninja. Com. All information from LN is deemed correct and up-to-date therefore all my characters should also be so.

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_Chapter One_

"Bug boy! Bug boy! " The little girl dancing around Aburame Shino, called out delighted. Inwardly Shino cursed his decision to introduce his five year old sister to his teammate and his furry companion. He had forget Inuzuka Kiba's large mouth might influence his already loud sister. He placed a hand on his sisters shoulder, and the little girl looked up at him. "Shino-onii-san, what is it?" Shino had to reflect that he was ultimately far too soft on his much younger and long hoped for sister, he turned into putty in her capable hands, and he was sure that ultimately she would cause his doom. Especially with those damn big green eyes that like he, little Miko hid behind her own pair of sunglasses attempting to mimic her brother and father. Shino found himself smiling despite himself at her, though he was thankful that his large jacket hid that from both Kiba and Miko. But, mainly grateful that it hid him from Kiba, who he was sure would make many loud jokes about him going soft. Of course, Kiba would not understand he had always had his elder sister, Hana. Miko was a new person in Shino's life, and he had longed for said sibling for many years especially as a child where much of his childhood was spent alone, Shino had learnt the hard way that many of the other children did not like bugs. Miko had it quite a bit easier than Shino had, simply because she had inherited their mother's loud personality. She was loud, and tended to say exactly what she thought of things which for some reason endeared her to the other children despite her own colony of kikaichu.

"Hinata-Chan has arrived, Miko-hime," Shino answered quietly, using one of the nicknames for his younger sibling. To both Kiba and Shino's surprise Hinata had gotten over her crush on Naruto shortly after Pein's invasion, she had explained it to them, as that now Naruto knew how she felt she was free to try and get over him. Which, she did, to everybody's general amazement.

"Hinata, this is my sister, Miko, this is Hyuuga Hinata-Chan," Shino said turning around to greet Hinata, Hinata smiled and bent down to greet the younger girl, once more Shino found himself smiling behind his collar, Hinata was easy going and patient with all children.

"H-hello, Mika-Chan, wow you have g-gotten so b-big since I last s-saw you," Hinata, hadn't seen Miko since Miko was two and even then it was in a photo, so it was really no surprise to Hinata that Miko had grown. Though Shino saw Hinata and Kiba often he usually trained Miko by himself or with their father. But though Miko was extraordinarily talented with her kikaichu, she lacked skill with her other basic skills, ones that she would need to build up before she was to attend the academy or she may find her self ostracized by her peers much. No one in the Aburame clan wished that upon Miko. Kiba who was dosing under a tree next to the ever present Akamaru, who barked happily at Hinata as she, in hand with Miko, and with Shino on the other side neared him and Kiba.

"Hey, Hinata-hime, Miko-hime, Bug boy," Kiba ignored the glare he could tell Shino was sending him. He was grinning at Miko, evidently grateful that she had picked up on his nickname for Shino so well. But as Hinata giggled, with her hand covering her mouth, Shino smiled and decided he could let it slide after all it seemed to make her happy, and Miko for that matter. Kurenai , his, Hinata and Kiba's once-jounin sensei once that Hinata could get Shino to do anything for her, and that Kiba wasn't much better. Hinata had remained oblivious to this to this day despite the fact the boys had followed her around smitten for ten years now. Sometimes Shino found it hard to believe how old they had become, he had never thought they would make it to 22. Not because he thought they would be killed though it had been a possibility, but just in the ignorance of his youth it had found it hard to think of himself as any age but the one he was.

"H-hello K-Kiba," While Hinata rarely stuttered anymore when around new people, even, apparently his kid sister, she tended to stutter more than she would've done if it had just been the old team eight.

"Hinata, Kiba thank you for agreeing to help me train Miko, she need to improve her taijutsu among other things before she enters the academy," Hinata smiled at Miko, and Shino smiled at Hinata. "You remember how my hand to hand skills were before I trained, the clan has decided that they would prefer it if Miko learnt to use her kikaichu along with taijutsu not rely on her kikaichu. As you know my taijutsu still is not good enough to be teaching Miko alone, which is why I asked you two, Hinata your taijutsu is one of the best in village, along with Neji's. But after training with Kiba and myself you have much more control than Neji, because you care about who you train with. Making you perfect to help Miko-hime," He said quietly watching as Miko stroked Akamaru's soft ears. He made sure that Miko couldn't hear them as he explained all of this, there was no sense in destroying her confidence just as it was getting to a good level. Hinata turned to watch as Kiba raced with Miko, who was riding on Akamaru, during her academy years she had thought of Shino as a cold empty shell, he very rarely showed any emotion. He was always alone, and had been reluctant even when they first became team eight to make friends with Kiba or her. But he ideals on teamwork ultimately won out against his naturally reclusive nature. Because of the simple fact that a ninja's most important skill is the ability to work as a team as well as you would if you were on your own.

"I asked the Hokage if we three could have some time off to train her," Hinata said, quietly to Shino, "The new genin have just passed the exams so they are taking on all the simple missions and since our numbers are so large, the hokage can give us time off to train the next generation,"Shino nodded, this meant that they didn't have to rush Miko, she was after all still a child, he hoped that using Kiba's playfulness they could try and disguise teaching Miko taijutsu as a game.

"My mother asked if we could tire her out, apparently she's been so excited lately mother hasn't been able to get her to bed," From his voice, Shino knew that Hinata would be able to tell he was smiling, she knew him better than everyone else at the end of the day. Except for perhaps his parents and maybe Kurenai sensei . In return to him smiling, Hinata turn and smiled at him, it was like being smiled at by the sun. Only without the inevitable heat rash that all the members of team eight got frequently due to their love of not removing their clothing, Kiba had learnt his lesson, however himself and Hinata had yet too. Hinata layered a little less now, and her jackets (to his oblivious discomfort) had become more form fitting, and suited her very much. As much as it made Shino uncomfortable (Hinata's outfit change that is) , she liked it, so Shino kept his mouth...not that he would have said anything otherwise he didn't really talk much at all.

"She's so loud," Hinata commented quietly as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, it had come loose from the bun that the rest of her belonged too. To her surprise, Shino chuckled

"It's my mother's influence, she is just as loud when she wants to be," He answered to Hinata's unspoken question. This time Hinata let out a giggle, evidently picturing what the Aburame household must be like. "So, I take it your father is quiet like you?" Shino nodded, realizing that Miko was the only aburame clan member that Hinata had ever spoken too, and that he himself had never said much about his home life. Then again , he didn't know much about Hinata's home life either. He knew she would be head of the Hyuuga clan one day, and that Neji was her cousin, and she had a little sister called Hanabi. Which wasn't much at all, he didn't even know her fathers name only that Hinata trained with him and the rest of the family quite a bit. Ten years of solid friendship and that was all he knew. Shino felt a bit ashamed of himself really, he knew lots about Kiba's family, had been their to dinner regularly met nearly all of his family, and found them loud…very, very loud. Kiba himself had been to Shino's house years before Miko was born. When Shino had become a chunnin Kiba had helped take him home, after he had received a broken leg. Not serious enough to put in the hospital but serious enough that Shibi Aburame and Kiba had used a stretcher to take him home so that Shino's mother could repair the leg. He had nearly been forced by said mother to stay for dinner. Kiba had once confided in Shino that his mother (Shino's that is) was almost terrifyingly maternal, and that he didn't know how Shino put up with it. Very quietly Shino asked a very brave question.

"Hinata-hime, where is your mother?" A muffled gasp exited from Hinata as soon as the words left his mouth, and as soon as he heard that sound he regretted it. Hinata-hime's mother must be dead for her to make that sound, and that sound meant he had hurt her, that sound meant he was kicking himself most royally. But, to Shino's surprise, Hinata looked at him, sadly but she looked as though she was going to answer.

"My M-mother… Well ,when Hanabi was six months old my mother caught an assassin trying to enter the nursery where Hanabi and I slept. In turn she was killed by the assassin trying to steal me away from the compound. She tried to keep them from taking me or Hanabi, she failed. Neji's father was sent in exchange for me. That's why he hated the main family for a long time, why he hated me," Even Shino had to strain his ears to hear her speak, and he realized that Hinata was opening up to him, and Shino could tell by her shaking shoulders, that Hinata was crying, for the first time in six years. To his own surprise he could feel himself reaching a hand out to place on her shoulder, for comfort, he thought seriously about hugging her, but he remembered that Hinata and himself were adult ninja of the village of the leaf, and ninja's do not hug one another- at least not in public. Shino could hug Miko (now trying to do a handstand while Kiba walked around on his hands) and he would get away with it. But Shino would not be able to get away with hugging Hinata in public. In response to Shino's unspoken apology, Hinata lay her rough, scarred little hand over his, and Kiba wolf whistled. Hinata blushed, and to his own surprise he could feel himself turning red, Hinata squeezed his hand, and let it go, leaving it to return to his pockets where it belonged.

Looking up at the sky , he saw it tinted pink with the sun going down, and mentally he swore, his mother would already have dinner on, poor little Mika must be wore out by now. Standing up, he whistled to Kiba and Akamaru, and followed by Miko they came over, Miko on Kiba's large shoulders, grinning sleepily at Hinata and her big brother. "Thank you, for playing with Miko, Kiba, we will meet you here tomorrow at ten, good night for now, Kiba, Hinata-hime," As the team said their goodbyes, Shino picked up his sleepy little sister from Kiba's shoulders, and let her doze on his shoulder whilst he frontwards piggy backed her home. After all that had happened in Team eight's time as shinobi, and when his time came Shino would forever be grateful to god for giving him his sister (and for giving him, her now several year previous where he may have found her annoying) and for giving him his friends. He turned and waved at them before continuing the walk home, sending out two of his bugs to let his father know that they were at least on their way.

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Hello There!

Please let me know what you think, I don't care if you flame me or think my character aren't true to themselves, just reveiw =)

Holly.


	2. Chapter 2

_Shino Aburame _

_By TheTinyestOne_

_Dedicated to Megi52: My first reviewer! You are awesomeness on toast!_

Note: I have molded they events of the attempted kidnapping of Hyuuga Hinata (mentioned in chapter one) to my own version for the purposes of this story.

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Yuuhi Kurenai never thought she would see what she was seeing now, Shino Aburame carrying a little girl through the streets of Konoha as if she was his own child. Though Kurenai knew better, this little girl was Shino's little sister, Shino's mother had trouble conceiving after Shino was born and it had taken sixteen years to have what Kurenai joked was a 'sake' baby. Which was ironically enough was what her child was, a child conceived after to much sake is drunk. Nether the less, Kurenai had seen how Shino doted on his little sister, and thought of Shikamaru and her own son, it was very similar. Even though Shikamaru was now married and Temari was expecting their first child, it didn't lessen the dotage that Asuma received from Shikamaru.

Seeing Shino dote on Miko Aburame the way he did, came as a surprise but she wasn't nearly as shocked as she could have been, she had seen both Shino and Kiba scare off Hinata's suitors when the men that were trying to date her weren't appropriate or slightly shady. She had seen them follow Hinata around the village smitten, carrying groceries, or just glaring at the men who thought they were sneaking peeking glances at the chunnin. At one point she had felt the need to tell the boys off, or else poor Hinata was never going to get to date but she could already see their reactions, Shino would raise one of his eyebrows as if to say _'There's a problem with that why?'_ and Kiba would yell loudly that Hinata could date when a guy good enough for her came along, and that could be when she was thirty. Akamaru would just bark, seeming to say the same thing as Kiba, of had been another thing that had held her back from doing that as well, she had begun to pick up on something that one of the boys was trying to hide. So she let it drop, well sort of anyway. Now, she just watched them carefully whenever she could, though she could always hear the voice in her head (the one that sounded like Asuma-senior) saying that she couldn't meddle in the affairs of her twenty two year old students lives. To this voice she generally poked her tongue out. Which was really just poking her tongue out at herself, but Kurenai tried not to think about that. As she continued to water her flowers, Shino looked up at her and waved as he walked past, on the way to his own house. Kurenai couldn't help but have a flash back to when team eight had just been formed, two very shy, quiet members and of course, Kiba. How much those children had grown, so much that they were now training the next generation. She sighed…_when did I get so old? _She found herself asking herself. _Gosh, I'm in my forties now…_ Chuckling to herself she went inside, after waving to her ex-student.

True to Shino's prediction Mayane Aburame had dinner on the table when he returned home carrying a sleepy Miko, and she had a scolding ready for Shino for keeping his sister out so late, but Shino could tell she wasn't too serious. Shibi Aburame took their littlest ninja and put her bed after dinner, while Shino stayed and helped his mother with the dishes left over from dinner.

"Did she have fun today?" Mayane asked handing him a dish to dry. Shino nodded,

"Kiba is teaching her how to handstands, while Hinata-hi, um while Hinata and I worked out a game plan for teaching her," Mayane did not miss the stumble on calling Hinata 'hime' a name that Shino normally reserved for Miko. She raised a mental eyebrow, and decided it may be time to meddle in her fully-grown sons life.

"Why don't you invite Hinata and Kiba to dinner, Shino, I would like to meet your friend Hinata, and it would be nice to see Kiba and Akamaru again," The way his mother said it made Shino realize that this was not optional. He bit back a sigh as he dried the dishes, knowing that his mother evidently had something up her shelves, he had been asked by her to have his teammates' over for dinner, Kiba and Kurenai had both come on separate occasions' but never Hinata. For the simple fact that his mother was a little too observant.

"what day mother?" Mayane paused thinking about it, then she turned to grin wickedly at Shino, he took a step back_.__ No, no, no, Mother don't say it._ He couldn't help but think.

"Why don't you just go over and ask them now if I remember correctly the Hyuuga's are on the over side of town , but the Inuzuka's are nearby to them, so you can do them both in one go. Don't worry about the dishes dear, off you go," _Mother'_s He thought , as he pulled his sandals back on preparing to leave the house once again for the second time that day. His feelings towards his own mother right now made him personally feel Shikamaru. Footsteps echoed behind him and Shino turned to see his father now into his fifties, and with a generous dosing of grey in his dark hair handing him a basket, which appeared to be full of honey's and jams. Mayane made some of the best in the leaf village.

"Here, Shino, your mother thought this might be handy to sweeten up the Hyuuga," Shibi evidently had no mercy for his son, as Shino could tell his father was smiling beneath this collar. Shino glared at his father accepting the basket, and taking off down the path to the gate of his home. He could swear he heard Shibi chuckling behind him. At this point, Shino was ninety percent convinced that his parents were either stark raving mad or completely evil, after all there was a thin line between the two. If trying to bribe the Hyuuga into letting there heiress out to dinner with a well respected clan didn't prove that nothing would.

He really wished he was at home as a hyuuga led him through the maze that was the hyuuga compound. In fact he was tempted to let the floor eat him, to escape the embarrassment he felt sure was coming with this visit to Hinata's home. In fact, he had been informed that the Hyuuga heiress had her own apartment with twenty four hour guards, and that her cousin Neji lived next store as a added scare for anyone trying to assassinate the girl. Even without all this Shino knew Hinata could hold her own in a battle now days and no longer needed such protection. He supposed that Hinata had agreed to it so that they would get off her case about it. Shino mused that Hinata had turned very diplomatic with age. He felt his mouth grow dry as they reached what Shino could assume was Hinata's apartment, there were two Anbu guarding her. Like she was the hokage or something, They look formidable one wore a fox mask, and the other a monkey mask. Not to mention Shino was willing to bet there were more where he couldn't see them, he nodded stiffly to the Hyuuga who had shown the way, and also as a way of greeting to the anbu. Willing his courage to stay, Shino raised his arm and knocked three times. Shino's pulse was going crazy, he briefly wondered if it was possible to go in to cardiac arrest from nerves, when the door opened and Hinata stood there surprise painting her pretty face. Shino open his mouth and managed to squeak out a 'Hello' before handing her the jams and honey, she was wearing a dress. Man, did it look good, far too good he would need to mention it to Kiba so that they could arrange it so that Hinata would never wear such a dress in public, other wise she'll get a fresh crop of creeps following her around. _  
_

"w-will you come in Sh-sh-shino?" She said as walked back inside the house her new acquired goods in hand and Shino followed, glad to be out the Anbu and Nejis' sight. Well, not Neji's at least, he was sure he had heard the elder boy mutter something under his breath and Shino would be willing to bet it had to do with watching them. How did TenTen put up with him?

"So what brings you here, Shino?" She asked as she began to put the goods on the shelf in her fully equipped kitchen. Shino was amazed, how big was the Hyuuga compound anyway? He swallowed nervously, preparing to ask her dinner with his family, also known as his worse nightmare. Although Miko would enjoy it, which is a plus. Kiba would have the time of his life, he loved Mayane Aburame's cooking.

"My mother would like you to come to dinner tomorrow night. If that is acceptable for you?" He was ten times more glad for his large collar and hood to hide his face. He could feel the heat rising and his bugs felt like they were humming of all things. Hinata paused a jar of jam in her hand, she looked straight at Shino. Shino began to concentrate on his breathing, time seemed to slow and he was grateful for the counter between them. Why was she taking so long to reply? Was she trying to find a polite way to say no? Was that it?

"Why, Shino, it took you long enough, I've been desperate to meet your mother since we were genin," Shino raised his eyebrows wordlessly asking, _Why didn't you just ask?_ However he knew it was a folly to even think it, Hinata was far too polite and shy to just ask. As if she knew what he was thinking, Hinata smiled, and went back to putting the jams in the cupboards.

"Will I need to be wearing formal wear, Shino-kun?" He shook his head, it was not a clan dinner, just his own direct family. No need for traditional formal wear that Hinata had once told them she had to wear at nearly every family dinner. Which, thankfully, didn't happen that often anymore, according to her anyway, ever since she had been announced as the official heir of the clan.

Shino was smiling as he left the Hyuuga compound, heading towards the path where he had once asked Kiba the details of the Sasuke retrieval mission. Towards the house where Inzuka family lived.

Inside the Hyuuga compound Neji was telling his wife how happy he was that his cousin was finally getting somewhere with that 'Aburame ninja' that was in her team. TenTen smiled and lay his hand over her belly. Inside his daughter kicked at his hand. The next generations will of fire was becoming apparent even in those who hadn't been born yet.


	3. Chapter 3

**Shino Aburame**

**TheTinyestOne**

**Any name suggestions? I really want a better one. **

**The dinner in this chapter is based on a true story…horrific I know. Well except the falling over part, that is entirely fictional.**

Chapter three

Mayane Aburame watched as her son Shino, began to fidget. Something which was unusual for him, Shino was a true ninja, cool, calm and collected no matter what. Apparently, the girl that was coming to their house for dinner was an exception to this. Her much longed for daughter, Miko, could be found sitting on her husbands lap, watching the bugs crawl across his hands with giggles. Mayane couldn't help but smile at the scene before her as Shino ran his hands through his hair, uncomfortable because Mayane had made both him and his father; Shibi remove their large cloaks and their glasses, she apparently loved being able to see their 'pretty' green eyes. Mayane watched as Shino once more sneaked a peek at the clock, anxious for their guest's arrival.

When the doorbell rang, Mayane could have sworn that her son teleported to the door, Shino got their so quick, he was their before Mayane even had a chance to blink, there she was, Hyuuga Hinata was standing in their doorway. Of course, Shino had never let Mayane meet Hinata before, though he said it was just an accident, Mayane suspected Shino had motives behind keeping his mother from meeting the other member of his team. At least now she understood why, her son was blushing, and Mayane knew why. The Hyuuga heiress was beautiful. Mayane knew this girl was now an adult, just like her son at twenty two, she had unique blue black hair and it was so long, reaching the girls hips in its two long plaits. Her eyes were uniquely beautiful even for a Hyuuga she seemed to hold some kind of majesty in them. Mayane could see why Shino hadn't brought Hinata to meet them, Mayane had stumbled quite by accident upon her sons last secret, and that secret was holding a blueberry pie.

"Oh my, Hinata, did you make this yourself?" Mayane said as she took the blueberry pie from Hinata's hands , she watched as the shy Hyuuga nodded, her eyes straying towards Shino rather than looking at his parents. Although she had no choice but to rip her eyes away from Shino's own when Miko ran up and jumped into the elder girls waiting arms.

"Hinata-chan! Shino said you were coming but I didn't 'l-eve him cause sometimes he lies," The small girl Babbled, curls flying everywhere as she tucked her little head into the crook of Hinata's neck, before Hinata could even think of putting her down, after a day of 'playing' with the shy heiress, Kiba, Akamaru and her big brother. Miko had taken a huge shine to Hinata like how a moth would take to a flame, and Shino found that he could not have been happier about it. Mayane suddenly got the most evil look on her face as Hinata put her daughter back on the ground, turning to look at her son (who took a step back warily).

"Shino! Where are your manners? Why haven't you taken Hinata's coat?' As Mayane berated her son for his rudeness (and enjoyed every moment of it, in that sick way parents often do) and in the background Shino swore he could here his father chuckling as he carried Miko to her slightly higher chair (otherwise she couldn't reach the table). Miko for her part giggled and poked her tongue out at him, watching the heat rise in her brothers cheeks, but not yet old enough to understand what it meant. Too her this was a game, to Shino and Hinata it was embarrassing, and to Mayane Aburame it all meant grandbabies. If Shino knew his mother at all, and he did, she was going to make his life hell in order to get them. Stepping up the stairs to the door, Shino let his fingers brush her shoulders as he took her cloak. Her skin felt amazing, so soft, no scars there on her shoulders, just soft skin. He could feel his own bugs humming against his skin, wanting to touch _her_, everywhere. It took control to hold them back, control he almost didn't have, his heart was racing, and as his hands brushed her shoulders, his mind began to race. At first thinking trivial things such as was it possible to have a heart attack from just touching her skin, then his thoughts went on a entirely different spiral. Of how he would like to touch more of her soft skin, feeling the rough scar tissue he knew she had received from the pein invasion, and the one she had on her upper thigh from a mission they had had when they were just genin, her breasts, he wanted to touch everything. He had to stop thinking about this, he was going to lose his firm control, his bugs would lose all control, and he would come out of it all embarrassed as he could possibly be, and besides it wasn't appropriate to think about her like this. But he just couldn't help it, the next moment Shino and Hinata both went crashing on the floor, as Kiba ran through the door running both Hinata and himself down in the process. Shino didn't think he had ever been more grateful to Kiba and Akamaru in his life. They had just saved him, though he did notice that his knees hurt a lot, they had taken the impact on instinct of both Hinata and himself (Hinata whom he had managed to get in his arms, to prevent from falling on her face of course) . Hinata was blushing at being in Shino's lap while Kiba bustled around greeting Mayane and Shibi, Hinata began to get off his lap and Shino avoided looking at her. His mother was smirking as she greeted Kiba, his father was looking scarily humorous for him. All this led to Shino feeling like his family was plotting against him. This had been a terrible idea on his part, he should've just left home rather than let this happen. If his mother ever suggested anything like this again, he would leave home rather than put up with this. Shino didn't normally get embarrassed much, being able to hide behind his huge collar and his glasses.

"Nice to see you again, Hinata, Kiba, Akamaru" Shibi greeted the trio in his own calm collected way that was so like his sons. He still had that scary amused look on his face, making it all the worse for poor Shino. Due to the fact that Shibi was (like any Aburame) very, very, good at hiding his emotions, so he must be really, amused to be showing it to his son.

This really was torture to him. Parents are sick and twisted creatures, he should have been emancipated, and that was his only real thought as his family, plus Hinata and Kiba sat down for dinner, with his mother still wearing that michevous look that was making him really uncomfortable.

_Maybe I'm blowing this out of proportion_ He thought quietly to himself, as he picked up his chopsticks and quietly thanked his mother in unison with the rest of the table.

"So what was Shino like as a baby?" Kiba asked, _OH no, this is not happening! Now that Kiba is in on the scheme. I don't stand a chance_.

Dinner had been just as horrific as Shino had guessed it would be, but the tea afterwards had been about a billion times worse than Shino had imagined. With Miko in bed, Mayane went full swing into embarrass Shino mode. Complete with baby photos, lots of them, including naked Shino photos, and stories the kind that would usually be reserved to tell grandma's and great aunts. Kiba, thankfully had left early meaning that only Hinata was to sit through Shino's own personal seventh floor of hell. Which was better and worse in different ways, worse, because quite simply it was Hinata, but better because Kiba was likely to die of laughter. Shino was never going to be able to look Hinata in the eyes again even with his coat and shades. Shino did not handle embarrassment very well at all and as his dear mother pushed him out the door to walk Hinata home, despite _Hinata's _instance that she was a ninja and perfectly capable of making it across town herself. The first thing he said when he was out of his families delicate hearing was, of course:

"Hinata-hime, I am very sincerely sorry for that," However, to his very genuine surprise all Hinata did was laugh, evidently _she _at least found it funny and that in it's self was very much worth it.

"Shino-kun, I aplogise for laughing-" Before he even knew what he was doing, Shino had her hands in his and speaking.

"Don't be"

And then, all of a sudden his mouth was on her's, his hands were in her hair, hers were reaching round his waist, and there was fireworks behind his eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

Shino Aburame

The Tinyest One

Chapter Four

If Shino lived to be a hundred he would never forgot how he felt when his lips came in contact with Hinata's, and it was not very likely that he would live to be a hundred, or even fifty he was a shinobi not a farmer. He would never forget the soft gentle almost hesitant response to his lips invading hers. Or the way that her hands wrapped themselves are far around his waist that she could manage.

She was truly the most amazing creature and he would be haunted by her forever. At least he hoped that she would allow him to be haunted by her forever.

Shino did not arrived home for nearly an hour and a half after he had left it, Mayane Aburame was awaiting his return none to patiently, in fact she was almost tempted to send her husband out after him, when he came through the door, in a dream like state. Something had happened with the Hyuuga, Mayane could feel it in her very veins.

So before her son snapped out of his dream she concerned him, and he looked frightened. His mother was evil and she was good at being evil, he was not going to be able to escape her. So he took the easy way out, he hugged her left her shell shocked and disappeared down the hall to his room, where he could lock her out sufficiently well enough that his father would step in to stop Mayane attempting to get in through the window ("Your in your forties, dear, that means no climbing along the guttering")

Oh yes, life was good for Shino Aburame.

The same could not be said Miss Hyuuga Hinata, who had come home in a dream to find her cousin in law giving birth, her cousin pulling out large qaunties of hair, and the general clan in a state of pure uproar. For the next generation was coming, and much like its parents this child would wait for no one, so Hinata was there, seeing much more TenTen than she would have liked. But that child, Hinata didn't need the bloodline to realize that when it came out they were going to need Sakura, she sent a boy running for her. She knocked Neji and Lee out, before having a good look at the baby, covered in blood, and goodness knows what else, she cleaned it off as best as she could. It was white, and why was it not crying, a silent baby was a worry. It was so small, and it was early, and Hinata was very worried. She anxiously checked the infants pulse, it was too faint, and then before she could do anything it stopped completely. Tears hit the baby, the beautiful little boy, became wet with her tears and Hinata handed the boy to TenTen. Who had already guessed what happened, and she ran from the compound. To her it did not seem fair that one so wanted could only grace there world for a few brief seconds before it was cruelly taken away. She didn't quite realize where she was going, the rooftops disappeared with each step, and she found her self hanging upside down on The Aburame's roof, using her eyes to work out which room was his.

Shino opened his window as soon as he heard the small tap of someone on his guttering meaning to tell his mother off, instead he found Hinata hanging upside down by her feet tears falling down her forehead, words weren't needed, he just let her in. Terrified that he had caused this. Then he noticed the blood on her dress, on her arms, and the impossibly sad look in her eyes. This wasn't his flaunt, no this was something else, so he just contented to hold her, and hope to heck that he could do something to make it better.

It was an hour or so before Hinata calmed down enough to tell Shino what had happened and even then it was in broken hiccuppy sentences. Shino didn't know what to say, what does one say in a situation like this? Should he just stay quiet, hold her, should he try to say something to make her feel better. Shino hadn't felt this lost since he was in kindergarten, trying to explain to the teacher that the bugs crawling over his skin were normal for an Aburame (he had learned when he was older that she had been new to the village). So he just held her quietly in his arms, until she was ran out of tears.

"His, his, his will, I felt him, move…whi-while he was in there. He was so…so..s-so strong I just don't understand…" Hinata said looking at Shino in the mornings earliest pale pink light. Her eyes were all bloodshot and swollen, salt stained her cheeks, and she was so pale, not to mention freezing cold. Shino could not warm her up to save his own life. She still had blood on her hands and in her hair, so with relative ease he picked up and carried her into his own parents room .

"Shi-bug? What up's?" Mayane Aburame asked groggily. Sitting up the elder women wiped her eyes, and saw Hinata being carried bridal style in her sons arms. She sat straight up, noticing Hinata's general condition.

"Shibi, Run the bath, now, GO" Shibi Aburame was out the door and into the bathroom, and Hinata was popped down on the bed, while Mayane heard a explanation from Shino. Mayane cried, with Hinata, as a mother she knew exactly what the Hyuuga family would be going through, and it broke her heart.

"Shi-bug, go tell your Dad to make that bath extra hot, I think Hinata needs the heat to snap her out of the shock," Shino went at run, somehow Miko slept through it all, only waking up when she heard Hinata get into the bath.

Confused she came out, in her long white night gown curls surrounding her heart shaped face and her bugs all over her face.

"Mummy, what's going on? Whose in the bath?" Mayane couldn't answer she burst into tears and hugged her now terrified daughter tightly, Miko, now panicking screamed for the only member of her direct family who wasn't there thinking something had happened to Shino. She fought her mother's grip, and leapt into Shino's arms as she saw him come up from the basement arms full with clean clothes that had belonged to his mother when she was a shinobi for Hinata to wear.

In other words the Aburame household was chaotic. No one could find the words to explain to Miko what was wrong, and after her bath, Hinata would not say a word or leave Shino's side. Which was fine with the red eyed Mayane, who was in the kitchen salting the porridge with tears. She knew that this hadn't happened to her family, but the thought of happening to her upset her greatly. The Aburames' knew that Hinata should be at home with her family, but Hinata herself refused to go, not that she said so, but the little color that had returned to face disappeared completely when Shibi had very, very tentatively suggested it. He had watched Hinata turn the color of a corpse and decided it was best to just drop it entirely. Not mention the glare the other three members of his family had sent him, including his little butterfly Miko.

Hyuuga TenTen and Neji buried Hyuuga Kalif on the next morrow, neither the mother or father were present, TenTen was in hospital, and Neji couldn't leave her, she hadn't stopped bleeding after the boy had been born. Sakura would not let her leave yet, and Neji couldn't do it without her. The Aburames (with Hinata) were there, along with Rock Lee and Maito Gai, and all the Hyuuga clan as Hinata dropped the violet in the tiny hole where her second cousin would lie. She opened her mouth and spoke for the first time since she had told Shino what happened.

"There has never been a baby more wanted, and more mourned, Little Kalif, you are our angel now," And as she began to cry again, Shino ignoring Hinata's father stepped forward and softly pulled her back to the crowd where he could hold her, to comfort her, to let her know that he was still there. She tilted her little doll head up, white with sorrow, and kissed him once more. She tasted of salt and sadness, it was the most bitter kiss, and he hoped he would never have to taste another like it from her beautiful mouth.

Well, that's all for this chapter sorry for the delay people. University went back, so I've been busy with various things like Anthropology, Sociology, French and Human Development and Counseling. I promise it will get happier soon, on another I note my club had a very special meeting on Wednesday and I got nominated and voted in for president. So yay for that, keep an eye out for a one shot about Ino, and another about the weasleys' not to mention the next chapter of SHINO ABURAME!

Love,

Tiny


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The Tinyest One

WARNING DARLINGS

There is talk of some dirty things in this chapter so reader discretion is advised. May I also point out that this story is written by a mature adult, so yeah. Enjoy my ducks! Its nothing too graphic just hinted at really, so if you don't like the slightest mention of sexual behavior I suggest you just wait for chapter six.

Tiny.

-*-

Seeing two lumps in Shino's bed now, was a perfectly normal for Miko or Mayane to see, Shibi left his son alone, it was his life, and Shibi's own father had left him alone, and then in turn Shibi chose to leave his own son alone. If it was Miko it would be completely different story, but it was his twenty two year old son, and Shino could take care of himself.

Mayane was over the moon; to her this sight meant grandbabies.

To Miko, it was much simpler, she liked Hinata and she loved Shino, so having them together was completely logical. She would crawl in with Shino and Hinata in the mornings, into the safe circle of their arms.

You may think that with sleeping together in the same bed every night, that they may have done more than just kiss, but with Hinata deep in mourning for the littlest Hyuuga, she just needed Shino to be there for her, and he was all to happy just to hold her in his arms while he slept. Keeping her warm keeping her safe from harm, though it had been months, Miko was getting ready for starting the academy and the days were turning very crisp. Hinata didn't talk much anymore, she spent her days training, sometimes helping Miko, sometimes with her old team, and sometimes on her own. When she was not training she was on missions, silent and deadly, she had not gone back to the Hyuuga's, and unsurprisingly they had not yet asked her back. Shino guessed they understood what she was going through, TenTen and Neji had only just gone back to work after the death of their baby.

"Hinata?" Shino asked quietly, his arm tucked under her neck and his other arm tightly around his waist. Lips pressed nonchantly against her long dark hair. She slowly turned around sensing something different in Shino's voice, her big lavender eyes wide, and dull, skin pale white, not a twinge of pink on her cheeks, she never blushed anymore. Even her lips were paler than the had been.

"Shino? Are you ok?" For a moment, He noted she had some of her own spark back for a moment there. The fire behind her eyes, for just a second, had lit up once more, and he felt a twinge of guilt, she was worried about him.

"I am Hinata-Hime, but are you?" And with those words, he watched her features slowly change as her mask slid in place. What he and Kiba had called the Hyuuga mask , whilst she had giggled at the time. Now, she was actively wearing it, without letting it slip for more than a second. He reached out and put his hands on either cheek, making her face him, to meet his eyes. Slowly he leant forward and kissed each eye lid, her nose, her cheeks her forehead, her mouth, until he felt her relax.

Without letting her cheeks go, he looked into her eyes, the tears began to fall, for the first time since the funeral.

"Oh, Hime, I knew you were not coping, my hime," At this her arms went tightly around him, clinging to him like a child desperate for comfort. He tangled his big hands into her hair, and held her until she stopped crying.

"It's not even that he is dead, Shino-kun," she said quietly, voice muffled against his shirt.

"Oh?"

"It's…I'm just… I am so scared, more scared than I ever been," Her voice grew ever quieter, and more choked up as she began to cry again, and suddenly everything seemed to click into place in Shino's mind.

"So you are scared, My Hime, not of the death you inevitably face as a shinobi, but of losing a child, of a child dying?" He asked quietly, grasping her chin and tilting it up toward him, so he could look at her. She was a sorry sight, and looking at her, just about made him cry. She seemed so devastated by her own thoughts. Almost as though she was mourning a child that hadn't even been thought of yet, let alone been conceived. As she looked at him, she seemed very small, almost like a child rather than a strong shinobi. She nodded, pupil-less eyes wide, and puppy-ish. He slowly clasped one of his hands around the back of her head, cradling it, pulling her forward till he matched his lips with hers.

Warmth flowed through Hinata's veins for the first time since her cousin's son's death, and she felt the heat coming back into her body. For the first time in weeks she could feel something other than fright, other than pain. She felt lust, and it was wonderful. Hinata had never felt lust before but she had heard about from TenTen and Ino, and their descriptions certainly matched what she was feeling now. She could not quite explain it, she felt tingles all over, she could not help but kiss him more, wanting the warmth the fire to spread all over her and to never stop. She wrapped her arms around his neck pushing her body closer, lust quickly becoming a need instead of a want.

At least until he pulled away, surprisingly breathing quite heavily. She went back in for another kiss, not wanting the warmth and the distraction to stop. But before she could reach his warm mouth, Shino had placed his hands on her shoulders, stopping her in her tracks.

"Hinata, this is not the time for this, or the correct way to be distracting yourself. If I had known that this would happen I would not have kissed you, I only meant to comfort you to show how I feel not to …" Funnily enough at this point Shino turned bright red, proving to Hinata that lust too was pounding through his veins. Only he had better control than she did. Even though Hinata knew that Shino was correct she couldn't help pouting a little, she happened to be very distracted right now.

"Why are you scared, Hime?" Shino asked, catching her as the lust slowly stopped pounding through her veins. The faint blush that had risen up staining her cheeks during the quick make out session, faded before Shino could even blink.

"If it happens, to me, I won't be able to handle it, Shino, I am not as strong as them, and it almost broke them, and as silly as it sounds I want children more than you can ever imagine. It would kill me faster than an enemies kunai would," As Hinata said this she could not bring herself to meet Shino's eyes, though she clung to his hand as if she would die if she let go. Shino ran his thumb gently over her hand, listening as she explained her fear. Surprisingly he got what she meant. He wanted kids very much as well, after his mother had given birth to Miko, Shino could help but think of his own children that he would have one day.

"I understand, Hinata-hime," he said clinging to her as he too let a tear or two slip out of his eyes, thankfully she would not notice as it was dark. There was no need to freak her out further by showing her that it made me cry too.

He swore in his mind, that he would do everything in his power to fulfill her dreams. They were his dreams now too.


	6. Chapter 6

Shino Aburame

By TheTinyestOne

Well Have I improved? Did you like the last two chapters? I know your reading, and I like feedback….So review, please?

Tiny,

Chapter Six

Hinata was confused to say the least, why did the hokage want to see her? She hadn't done anything wrong as far as she knew at least. She knew for a fact that there were no missions, Shino had just been in that morning to see if there were any, and had come home sulky. Indicating that no there were not any jobs. So she had continued helping Miko with her hand to hand combat. But then a bird had arrived with a summons, for her of all people. So she found her self heading over to the hokages tower at quite an alarming speed. Thinking something had happened within her clan, similar to what happened with the Uchiha's. However when she got to the hokages office, she found the hokage sitting with his advisor Shikamaru Nara and the head of , she began to panic, something had happened to her family. Why else would Anbu be there?

"Good, Hinata you're here," Okay...maybe the family thing really wasn't why she was here. Maybe it was something else. She swallowed, and stepped forward bowing.

"Yes, Hokage-sama,"

She found her way back to Shinos' home in a daze, it was time for her to go home. She found Shino in his room, cleaning his kunai.

"Hinata-hime?" She must have looked really out of it for Shino to use that voice.

"They asked me, they asked me to join Anbu.." Shino dropped the kunai, it left a mark on the floor. His glasses slipped completely off his face, and his green eyes betrayed his shock to her, Hinata tried to keep her face completely blank. A Hyuuga look as it was known around Konoha. Hinata dropped down on to the bed next too him. He looked at her, like a fish gasping for water, a fish above ground. Hinata was not offended she knew he was not doubting her abilities, it was the anbu title that had given him this shock. He didn't want risking her life more so than she already did daily, in anbu. That frightened him, and surprisingly that fright was written all over his face. As for her own opinion on the subject, she wasn't quite sure. Anbu was a huge step for her, but they needed someone to replace Neji who had in turn left anbu when TenTen had gotten pregnant. Hanabi would have been the more logical choice in Hinata's own opinion, but when she had suggested this, they had rolled there eyes, and told her that Hanbai's people skills were sadly lacking, and Anbu needed someone who could work with other people suffiently. Hanbai liked being the boss too much, and has a record of not listening to her sensei. Anbu couldn't afford someone who didn't listen in the field of these dangerous missions. Someone had to take Neji's place, and she was the sensible choice. She knew this. But convincing Shino, looked as through he would need some convincing. Both him and Kiba were going to hit the roof, just give them time. Well, Kiba and Akamaru both wouldn't need time, they would let it be known what they thought so loudly that it would make her wince. Not to mention, that they would also let the rest of Konoha know while they were at it.

Shino, however, was another story completely. He would bottled it up, and let it stew until he couldn't hold it back anymore, then he would wait till it was just her and him (which was often now) and then let it all go. Shocking her to tears, and pissing her off all at the same time, it had happened before only a few times and not since they became jounin. He knew she could take care of herself and no longer took fool hardy risks like she had in the pein invasion. This would most likely fall into his category of fool hardy risks. Actually no 'most likely about it', Shino would most definitely put this in the fool hardy risks category. At the moment he was sitting there still absolute dumb struck, but Hinata was not looking forward to it. He was beginning to turn a mauve-y color, and it was turning darker and darker. _Here it comes_, She thought anxiously. She moved her hand to put it over his'. He snatched away instantly.

"Don't touch me," He snapped voice rising. Hinata didn't even bother hiding her shock.

"Sh-shi-shino,…" She stuttered to him, he avoided looking at her. She went to touch him again, he moved away angrily.

"You may as well be a corpse, don't touch me," Tears began to well in her pupiless eyes.

She had never seen him so upset. He turned from her, so he wouldn't see her tears.

She didn't try again; she grabbed the small amount of stuff, left a thank you note, and left for the Hyuuga compound. She didn't realize that if she had tried to touch him again, Shino would have let her, would have held her, and would have cried. Instead she left him be, to stew with his sadness and his anger.

The heart breaks in silence, Hinata and Shino had learnt this.

*

SORRY it's so short. I know, I am sorry. Thank you to the new reviewers, and the old reviewers, more soon I swear!!!

Tiny


	7. Chapter 7

Shino Aburame

TheTinyestOne

Chapter Seven

Hinata adjusted the mask, and waited silently for the sign from her Anbu captain. Her hair was pulled back from her face, in a large bun, secured with two poisoned needles. A deadly touch for anyone who thinks they can use her hair for a weakness. A bird whistled, and Hinata moved, that was the signal. That little elderly woman was the target, and within two seconds the little elderly women who were in truth a rouge and very dangerous ninja. The ninja had fallen straight into their trap, he had the other female team member by the throat. Just as they had planned, Hinata sent a kunai straight to the head, before he realized that his hostage was in fact a ninja, complete with the rest of her team. The last thing the ninja saw was the face of a ferret, with dark hair.

"That was quick," Her captain, J mentioned as they set up camp for the night, pretending to be a group of teenager civilian's. Hinata's mask was hidden deep in her back pack, and her eyes hidden by a pair of sunglasses, not too different from Shino's who for the last six months had successively been ignoring her. She was trying very hard not to think about it, especially not on missions like this, where her life was on the line.

"Yes, it was, J," She replied quietly. J had been one of the men left between the cracks after the dissolution of ROOT Anbu and the death of Danzou, he was only a year older then Hinata but he was Anbu captain already.

"I'm recommending you for a promotion, these six months I've had you on my squad I haven't had a single fatality, not a single mission gone wrong," Hinata found herself speechless. Unable to say a word she nodded wordlessly, until she could manage to squeak a thank you. A promotion could mean one of two things, Anbu captain or an elite jounin. A huge step up from just a jounin this meant she had somehow found her way into a elite of Konoha ninja, something her father hadn't even managed during his time. This would make him hit the roof, jealously and pride. Neji would perhaps even manage a smile. Tenten would make sure she was equipped for such a position.

Shino… Shino…

Shino Aburame was in fact thinking of Hinata, every time she went on a mission, Shino watched her leave quietly from the shadows, and waited for her return in the same spot. He was so terrified of her dying one of these dratted missions. He couldn't bring him self to ask for her forgiveness, he regretted there fight, but still could not bear to talk to her, for fear that she would come back as a corpse, and that would kill him. It was a heart breaking experience seeing her leaving silent and deadly in commoner clothing for each mission, any one who saw her would have thought she was just a normal women, off

on a trip with friends, co-workers, or families. Gosh, he loved her so much, it was breaking her heart and he was beginning to see why so many ninja's married civilians', the men who couldn't bear to see their wives on the frontlines. Knowing exactly what there wives would see and risk everyday. Only a very strong man such as Asuma Sarutobi, could bear that, Shino knew he wasn't that strong. Not strong enough for her, not strong enough to be with her. He would watch her from afar as he always did, and always had. Then she comes in, and she's being supported by two anbu, her face is red with blood, and strained with pain. The other two anbu were carrying corpses. Shino couldn't help himself he sprinted forward, to take Hinata in his lap.

"They ambushed us, she saved us, and did her best to save the other two, It is only a graze, but I think she also took a senbon to the hip." The man explained to Him, as Shino wiped the bloody hair from Hinata's face. She smiled at him; her teeth were stained red with blood. Her eyes met his, and he began to cry. This was what he had been scared of. But Hinata, she was a hero. As he got her to the hospital Sakura took over, and it was Shino could do to wait in the waiting room. He was not ashamed to admit that he cried, scared despite what the medics had told him. Losing her, would turn him into a emotionless Sasuke wanna-be. It was 2am, when Sakura came out to tell him and Neji who had turned up at 10pm. Hinata was awake, and wanted to tell them something before she began resting. They were not to tire her out, or Sakura would put them in hospital. She was lying there, her hair out and clean on her pillow. Hinata was positively glowing, though her eyes were red from crying for her fallen teammates.

"I'm being promoted, the hokage just told me, I have the choice of a genin team, or the head of an anbu squad. Can you give us a moment Neji, please?" Neji complied, he hugged her, and Shino stepped out of the shadows to so Hinata could see him properly, he also removed his glasses.

"you scared me," He said flatly. She nodded, not touching him. Though he longed for her too.

"Shino, I can't have you being like this…It won't work. You are too protective, I can not do my job when you and I are at odds like this," She looked at him so sternly he felt a bit ashamed. Gently he reached out to touch her and she moved, once more he felt a pain in his heart, as it broke once more. Getting the message, he left the room, looking back to see her looking at him. She was crying, but he could tell

she didn't want him to touch her, to go near her. It killed him, it broke his heart, and he did not know how to fix it, or even how to help fix it.

_

Hi guys,

Thanks for all the reviews, do you like this chapter?

Tiny.


	8. Chapter 8

Shino Aburame

TheTinyestOne

Megi52? Where are you?

Also check .com/ was updates of where I am up to on the next chapters.

Chapter Eight

Hinata was so bored of being in the hospital, sure she got visitors everyday. TenTen and Neji visited first thing each morning after training. Even her father and sister had visited, Hiashi had looked almost proud when she had told him of her promotion, Hanabi had looked jealous she had just failed her first jounin exam, so she was snotty, looking at her with disdain. Hinata knew why the hokage wouldn't promote Hanabi, jounins needed to be able to work with people, and Hanabi was incapable of dealing with people at all, never mind politely. She tried conversing with Hanabi, but she was in a real snot at the news of Hinata's promotion. It made her hide a smile, because she knew her sister too well, and this just meant that she was jealous, which made her almost laugh. It was true compliment when Hanabi got jealous. Still even with this constant attendance Hinata was bored, she wanted out, and taking a chance she threw back the covers and spun her legs out of bed, only to be hit by slightest wave of dizziness. Ignoring it she stood up with only slightly shaky legs too take a few steps towards the door before she heard the window slam open.

"Ah, Miss Hyuuga, what do you think your doing?" Came a mischievous voice, one she recognized, and very surprised to hear. She spun around shooting a guilty smile at her Anbu captain. To her surprise he didn't have his mask on; he had a very handsome face with a strong chin, and very blue eyes. His hair was just a bit shorter than hers tied back in a long plait as was common among shinobi with long hair; the Hyuuga's being an exception as Neji showed with his long loose hair.

"I was trying to escape," Hinata replied honestly, her eyes meeting J's, to her amazement J's just laughed and offer her a piggy back as an escape route. Accepting with a laugh the pair escaped down konoha's streets to the Hyuuga manor.

Shino watched them, with jealous eyes.

J was resigning from anbu, he informed her, it was just too dangerous and too hard emotionally for him. He didn't survive the third shinobi war to do the same sneaky stuff in Anbu. He wanted a family, and a future, he was going to ask for genin team next year. So he could make a difference. She smiled, as he told her, she wanted that one day, but until Hanabi grew up emotionally her place was in Anbu. Still despite her anger at him, her heart ached for Shino, even as J smiled at her in that soft sweet way.

Hinata had to stop thinking about Shino on missions it was getting out of hand. On a solo mission like this especially, she knew it was dangerous to think about him, as she threw a shuriken that landed in her targets throat with ease, as Hinata directed her attention towards another ninja who was coming at her with a kunai in hand, Hinata deflected it with obvious ease, the kind that made people think twice about attacking her. She made quick work of the last few, and continued deeper into the base, she hadn't seen a missing nin association like this since Orochimaru and Atkasuki. With her byaukan activated she could see it extended several more miles under ground, Her mind began to shift back to Shino as she noticed a bug under her foot, and skidded slightly to avoid squashing on it. She hadn't given the hokage an answer yet taking her choice of solo missions until she made up her mind. Although in her heart of hearts, she knew she couldn't yet leave anbu, not until they had a skilled Hyuuga to replace her. But it would also mean saying goodbye to any chance she had with Shino, at least until he grew up a lot. She missed him, she missed looking after Miko, and cooking with the loud bubbly Mayane. Most of all she missed waking up next to him every morning.

_It wasn't normal_, She mused, _to think of your love, while slitting a ninja's throat _

It was amazingly dangerous to think of Hinata when out on missions. How his sanity and for his neck. He sighed, as they headed back through Konoha's lush forests. He wasn't paying any real attention to real he was going he knew this path well enough to be able to make his way through that was until he hit a person face first into their back. A very familiar back, the anbu turned around her mask still on, and most of her hair falling out of her bun, in long blue black waves. He didn't need to see her face to know who it was, would it be creepy of him to just grab her, to touch her, to hold her. He needed to, his heart ached at having her so close and not being able to just brush her with the tips of his fingers. His heart was literally beating so fast that he honestly began to think he was having a heart attack, and his kikoai were freaking out, thinking he was going to die. She spun around, and he could tell she was looking at him, and his heart faltered some more. She reached out, and brushed his face with her gloved hand, and before he had a chance to register this she was gone. But despite this, he understood, she had couldn't have stopped, it would have compromised her, but still he knew he was still something to her. Shino knew he would have to try, to attempt to get over his issues with her career. He needed to be the bigger man.

And to do that he needed to talk to Kurenai.


	9. Chapter 9

Shino Aburame

TheTinyestOne

A question came up in this weeks reviews asking why Hinata got chosen for Anbu instead of Shino when Shino is much stronger. Well to be frank, Hinata was chosen for anbu because they needed someone with Hyuuga eyes, who also had people skills. Neji used to be the Hyuuga Anbu but as he left to breed with TenTen they needed a replacement, and Hanabi has no people skills. So Hinata was the logical choice. Question answered?

Chapter Nine

Kurenai watched as her arguably most talented ninja student walked away from her house, while Shino was definitely a very talented ninja he was very much lacking in the departments of understanding emotions. She shook her head, and lifted her son on to her hip feeling very sorry for Hyuuga Hinata right now. Falling for a fellow shinobi made life hard for all involved.

Shino's feet carried his body all the way through Konoha until he found himself looking at the door to the Hyuuga estate. He swallowed a large lump in his throat and lifted his hand to knock. A Hyuuga dressed in the long traditional robes of the Hyuuga answered the door, took one look at him, and began to show him to the heiress apartment, with a look that suggested that he was not wanted within the compound of the Hyuuga. The closer he got to the apartment the more his dread grew, till his feet took him all the way to Hinata's door. The Hyuuga grunted, indicating that this was where Shino wanted to go. He swallowed the lump in his throat, and raised his hand to knock, it felt like ten thousand years before the door opened, and Hinata answered. Her dark hair was swept away from her face in a thick bun that was so heavy it tilted her head back. Her skin was paler than normal and she looked drained, so worn down. A smile graced her lips for a moment before it fled once more, and a tremor graced them instead. She indicated Shino in without speaking; she felt her hand gentled brush the hand hanging lifeless at his side. Heat raised in his face and he lifted his hand to remove his sunglasses, and his heavy overcoat, knowing that Hinata knew him far too well for him to hide away. Feeling exposed, he sat down on the couch across from her. She was dressed not in traditional Hyuuga robes but in a worn set of blue jeans, and a slim fitting blue tank top. The Anbu tattoo stood clear against her pale skin. He desperately wanted to touch it, to run his fingers against it.

"How are you?" Hinata asked, her eyes desperately taking in his face, checking him for signs of ill. He was doing the same to her, trying to watch her eyes while checking her for signs of injury. It was not working out so well, he met her lavender eyes with an almost shy glance, and a current passed through them. He ignored it, swallowing the large lump that had risen once more in his throat. He had to clear his throat to speak, Hinata's eyes looked a little watery compared to just a moment ago.

"I am well, are you alright Hinata-hi-," He trailed off, knowing that if he finished that he would upset her something terrible and himself for that matter, as it was he could see tears in her eyes. They were threatening to spill over; he desperately wanted to just take her hand, to offer her comfort. But he was scared to death of doing it, to be pushed away. But when the tears spilled over, he knew what he had to do, time seemed to freeze as he moved to her side and took her soft hand in one of his own, while the other arms wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her into his arms. The sobs racked Hinata's body, and she rested her head on his chest, letting him hold her without a fight, without any trouble. He held the hand gently rubbing his thumb across the top of her hand. Kurenai had told him just to give her time, to be patient and not to baby her about being a shinobi. She was always going to be a shinobi first, a woman, a girlfriend, a friend or lover second. She said that it was for the better of the village, and that's how she and Asuma managed to do it. Shino had noticed the mischievous glint in his sensei's eyes and wondered what was going on through her mind, that glint had Shino quite seriously worried. Kurenai had been gloating to the voice in her head, the one that sounded like Asuma, but he wasn't to know that. Shino that is, not the voice in her mind.

"I missed you, Hinata," A sob answered him, telling him everything he wanted to know. She had missed him, she had had a hard mission, and she cared about him and hated fighting. He lifted the hand around her shoulders from it's spot only so he could stroke her hair, hoping she didn't care if he messed it up. He was happy just to be holding her, knowing exactly where she was, and knowing she was safe.

As her sobs subsided, she just lay there in his arms. Terrified of moving.


	10. Chapter 10

Shino Aburame

TheTinyestOne

Okay, so why have I been away for so long? I failed University, dropped out, moved to the other end of NZ to be with my boyfriend, got disowned, and managed to break two laptops that had a new chapter on them, so lets try this again shall we? My apologies.

Chapter Ten.

Hinata Hyuuga was nervous to say the least. She was walking hand in hand downt he street of Konoha with Shino, and she was sure someone was watching her. She couldn't shake the feeling, and it was making her had Miko on his other side, and she was talking so much neither adult felt the need to add anything to the conversation aside from the occasional question to keep her going. It felt so normal, from the outside, it even looked normal, to civilians walking down the street holding hands and listening to a little girl chatter.

Chills ran up her spine, and she turned on her eyes, quickly enough to see a shinobi coming for her, and 'rouge' rock shinobi no less. They just didn't know when to give out, and ripped her hand out of Shino's and deflected the kunai with an ease that made Shino jealous. Apparently she had picked up some skills in Anbu.

"Get Miko out of here, _now!_" She cried at him, before mvoing fast out of the crowd and on to the roof, out of Shino's sight. He could have stood in awe for hours, at the beauty of her fighting. But he knew he didn't have to admire her really, he needed to alert the hokage and get Miko out of there. He scooped his sister up in his arms, and ran, Miko screaming in fear to the hokages office. Trying to trust in Hinata's skills. But finding once more the horrible reality, that it doesn't matter how skilled, how trained your loved one is, when you find out there in a deadly sistuation, you can't help but worry about them.

Hinata, meanwhile, was busy trying to get the rock nin out of the village, where she didn't need to worry about civilains when she killed him. Part of her mind worried about Shino, such was life, but she knew who was the target of this, and it was not the aburame heir, or his little sister. It was the increasingly talented hyuuga heiress. They wanted her eyes, just for a change. As she went over the wall of the village, she could see Anbu coming to help her out the corner of her vision she signalled them to fall back. She had something to prove.

Shino was taking a tramutized Miko back to his parents, with a heart that was threating to stop beating. At the same time Hinata killed the 'rouge' nin mercilessly with a single blow.

She came to see the hokage blood still on her hands, and smiled at him like an angel, the rouge ninja's bingo book in her hands.

"I thought it was policy to let a shinobi know when there name had been added to the bingo book?"

The hokage, to her credit had the deceny to look shocked, as she accepted the bingo book from Hinata. The picture showed Hinata her eyes shining deadly, the picture had been taken from the third shinobi war, so it was out of date. But accurate enough to make it easier for her to be spotted by people wanting to kill her.

"To be fair, Hinata, I didn't know you were in the bingo book" The hokage could have sworn she saw a dangerous flash in the hyuuga's eyes. But it disapeared to fast for her to be sure.

"I think we have an issue with the rock ninja's once more, I'll leave it in your hands by your leave?"

She nodded, suddenly feeling very old, as she watched Hinata leave noticing for the first time that she hadn't suttered once.

As Hinata left the office, she felt a tiny bit of pride, and she felt a huge ammount of pride when she met her father in his office at the hyuuga compound. His eyes went huge when she told him what had happened. His daughter in a bingo book, his daughter who he had once shunned as a failure.

Shino had nearly pulled out all his hair by the time Hinata tumbled into his arms sometime near midnight, she nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck before turning her head up for a kiss.

"Sorry for scaring you today, Shino,"


	11. Chapter 11

Shino Aburame

TheTinyestOne

I know its short, but my son has woken up and needs to be fed.

This chapter is dedicated to the little person who made it difficult to write it for the past eleven months. My Son Charles born 10.08.2011.

Chapter eleven

Shibi Aburame was sitting at the council of clans, on one side he had the Hyuuga on the other he had Sasuke Uchiha, what was really worrying him was why this council had been called. He knew about the attempted kidnapping of Hinata Hyuuga, Shino has told him why Miko was so worked up, and incredibly hard to get to bed that night, Shibi had ended up sleeping with Miko in with them she kept having nightmares. It didn't exactly make for a good nights sleep when your children slept between you and your wife, Shibi wasn't the only one looking tired at this coucil meeting the Hokage also looked tired as she sat before them.

"Konoha has a new entry in the bingo book apparently, an incredibly talented warrior to be avoided at all costs" She read before holding the bingo book up, to show them a picture of Hyuuga Hinata black hair with streaks of blue shining, lilac eyes deadly.

"Konoha's purple haze as she is being called. But you probably know her as shy little Hinata Hyuuga," Shibi noted that Hiashi was staring at the picture, unabashledy, still in shock. It was unusual for the stiff lipped Hyuuuga to show this much emotion, and Shibi watched the Hokage lip curl in amusement as the other clan's noticed it as well. Sasuke Uchiha ever went as far to manage a smirk at him.

The hoakge waited for Hiashi to contorl his shock before contiuning on with the point of the meeting.

"There was an attack on Hinata in the market place yesterday. Luckily, Hinata's opponent vastly underestimated her, and Hinata managed to lure him out of the village before killing him, she also man aged to get body back into the village before the hunter nin's from the rock came to destroy him. Allowing us to to declare war (if we choose) on the rock village. However, the question is, do we? Our troops took a huge damage with the last war, one which we have only just recovered from. This is where I would like your opinon, clans, the rock village is claiming that the ninja was rouge. He was not wearing a hitate but generally allies would share details on rouge ninja's unless they were holding secrets that may effect the village's safety. Such as Itachi Uchiha" With a nod to Sasuke, before continuning.

"This doesn't appear to be the case, and I, myself, believe this particular nin was acting under orders. This gives us a cause for war, but of course, I cannot move without your approval"

Shibi shallowed loudly, war, over his son's girlfriend? Things just got a bit more real.

Meanwhile, oblivious to the war talk happening not too far away, Hinata and Shino were trying to salvage the wreckage of yesterday's date, the one which had been ruined by the rock nin. In truth, their dates more often than not were turning into make out sessions that Jiraiya would be proud of. Of course, these were hidden in the dark of alleyways and the trees of training grounds, when they were "training". In a manner of speaking they were training, just not the kind of training that the ground were meant for. Of course, they weren't the only ninja's that used the grounds for that particular purpose. Hinata had it on good information that Neji and Tenten had used it was this purpose several times. But, she tried, _really_, hard not to think about it. Of course, as a genin she walked in on several couples using it for such a purpose. Usually by the time she had woken up they were gone. It made her blush to think she was one of those elder couples now. Of course, she and Shino were much more discreet about it. They were high up in the tree tops, Hinata's back pressed up against the bark, Shino's head tucked into Hinata's neck, nibbling on the senstive flesh that resided there. Shino, however, had feeling that Hinata's mind was not entrirely focused on what he was doing, and was instead focusing on something else. He pulled his head back and sure enough, Hinata was staring into the distance, eye clearly away thinking about something other than what Shino was doing with his mouth. He waited until she noticed he'd stopped. which to her credit didn't take very long at all.

"Something on your mind, Hime?" He asked, eyebrows raised, as he adjusted his large collar and hood so it covered his mouth and head once more. He watched as she nodded, and bit her lip, that suprisied him, he hadn't seen Hinata do that in front of him in months. She was nervous, and that was something that immeditaely made Shino nervous as well, in that illogical way that people often did when their boyfriend or girlfriend got nervous (generally because they are certain they are about to be dumped).

"So last night, f-father" The stutter and and the mention of her father combined nearly made Shino fall out of the tree. He was sure Hiashi didn't like him. In fact Shino was nearly positive Hiashi diapporved of the whole aburame clan. It was the bug thing, they seemed to get it a lot.

"F-father, would like to have a for-formal clan dinner with you...to assess you, I suspect, to s-see if you are suitable for the h-h-heir-heiress of the clan. Neji had to go through something similar before he married TenTen," She wasn't even meeting his eyes, this was really freaking her out. Yet Shino felt relieved, for one, a formal dinner invitation meant Hiashi was taking him seriously as a suitor for Hinata, and it also meant that he wasn't about to get _that_ talk. He could understand why it was making Hinata so nervous though. At a formal clan dinner all the elders would be there, plus her sister, and of course, her father. It was a big occasion and Shino understood Hinata was nervous about them making the cut. After all he was too.


End file.
